Overview of Surname Variants
This study an extract of the Blencowe One-Name TNG database looks at the generic name Blencowe, often used in these pages.
Firstly the name and the family is made up of many branches formed from the few that lived in Blencow, Cumberland in the 14-15th Centuries. Not all the links are known but DNA testing has proven almost all in the database are related to the original Cumberland Blencowes. The several distinct spellings that have evolved over time of Blencowe, reflect both regional dialects and the interpretation by record keepers over time. What was heard as Blencowe in one district became Blincoe in another and so on. The database records 19 different spellings.
The accompanying table presents the distribution of individuals by surname spelling.1
As expected, Blencowe remains the most prominent form, yet the combined group of BLI‑ variants (such as Blincoe, Blinko, and Blincow) is nearly equal in number. This highlights the diversity within the family record and underscores how spelling shifts — whether through clerical variation, migration, or adaptation abroad — have shaped the way the name appears in historical sources.
| # | Surname | Total Count | Born 1700–1999 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BLENCOWE | 1774 | 1681 |
| 2 | BLINCOE | 696 | 659 |
| 3 | BLINCO | 696 | 649 |
| 4 | BLINCOW | 369 | 350 |
| 5 | BLENCOE | 226 | 208 |
| 6 | BLINKO | 174 | 165 |
| 7 | BLINKS | 61 | 61 |
| 8 | BLINCOWE | 60 | 60 |
| 9 | BLENKO | 41 | 39 |
| 10 | BLINCKO | 38 | 36 |
| 11 | BLENCO | 30 | 29 |
| 12 | BLENCOW | 21 | 20 |
| 13 | BLINKHO | 20 | 19 |
| 14 | BLINKER | 19 | 18 |
| 15 | BLENKOW | 7 | 6 |
| 16 | BLINKOE | 4 | 4 |
| 17 | BLINKCO | 2 | 2 |
| 18 | BLENKER | 1 | 1 |
| 19 | BLENKOE | 1 | 0 |
| 20 | TOTAL | 4240 | 4007 |
It should be noted that the time period the table covers is 95% of all Blencowes entered into the TNG database. Note: The focus of the entries for this database has been in this period 1700-1999